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COVID-19 and Social...
COVID-19 and Social Distancing : A Cross-Cultural Study of Interpersonal Distance Preferences and Touch Behaviors Before and During the Pandemic
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Croy, Ilona (author)
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- Lindholm, Torun, 1962- (author)
- Stockholms universitet,Personlighets-, social- och utvecklingspsykologi
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Sorokowska, Agnieszka (author)
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(creator_code:org_t)
- 2024
- 2024
- English.
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In: Cross-Cultural Research. - 1069-3971 .- 1552-3578. ; 58:1, s. 41-69
- Related links:
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https://urn.kb.se/re...
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https://doi.org/10.1...
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Abstract
Subject headings
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- The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of unprecedented safety measures, one of them being physical distancing recommendations. Here, we assessed whether the pandemic has led to long-term effects on two important physical distancing aspects, namely interpersonal distance preferences and interpersonal touch behaviors. We analyzed nearly 14,000 individual cases from two large, cross-cultural surveys – the first conducted 2 years prior to the pandemic and the second during a relatively stable period of a decreased infection rate in May-June 2021. Preferred interpersonal distances increased by 54% globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase was observable across all types of relationships, all countries, and was more pronounced in individuals with higher self-reported vulnerability to diseases. Unexpectedly, participants reported a higher incidence of interpersonal touch behaviors during than before the pandemic. We discuss our results in the context of prosocial and self-protection motivations that potentially promote different social behaviors.
Subject headings
- SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP -- Sociologi -- Socialpsykologi (hsv//swe)
- SOCIAL SCIENCES -- Sociology -- Social Psychology (hsv//eng)
Keyword
- nonverbal communication
- interpersonal distance preferences
- interpersonal touch behaviors
- COVID-19 pandemic
- cross-cultural psychology
- psykologi
- Psychology
Publication and Content Type
- ref (subject category)
- art (subject category)
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